Scarier Things Than Monsters
by Hiatus-Aren't-Hiakus
Summary: There are scarier things than monsters. An Abby/Conner fic. :D Don't be deceived. Bumped up to T for gore in Ch.8
1. Wrong

Scarier Things Than Monsters

Summary:

There are scarier things than monsters. There are monsters inside all of us. The real problem begins with humans. Not only can they hurt you physically - emotionally too.

They can hit you where it hurts.

"Abby?" Conner called through the empty flat. There was no noise in the apartment, no noise but the smooth whoosh of Rex's wings around the open, silent air. "Abby?" Conner called again, even though it was evident she wasn't in the flat. He passed the sofa and tried the kitchen. "Abby?" he was getting seriously scared now. Lester was still around. And Helen. There was no question what Helen would do to get what she wanted - and what she wanted was a different world..could she have kidnapped Abby? No, no, Conner was being silly again. Just jumping to conclusions - she'd probably gone out with bloody Stephan again or something..

But Conners hands still dialed Cutter's number.

"Nick, Abby isn't home."

"Maybe she's still at the zoo." Nick mumbled, exhausted, down the phone.

"It's eleven, Nick! Eleven! Where the hell is she?! Do you think-"

"Calm down. I'm sure she's fine." Nick mumbled again. And then Conner's heart stopped. There was a noise in the background..a horribly familiar noise..a beautiful, yet terrifying noise to Conner. Then it got louder, and Conner's heart ripped out of his ribcage and dropped to the floor in agony.

"She's with you." he whispered in a broken, cracked voice.

"What? No, no she is-Stop it-"

Abby was laughing on the other end of the phone, unaware that every second she was excruciatingly painful for Conner. He sat on his knees by the phone, receiver still to his ear.

"Who is it?" Abby's voice appeared through his pain. "Hello?" she'd snatched the phone.

"Abs.." Conner whispered, feeling pathetic. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions again! I mean, Cutter couldn't be...with Abby..that was just...wrong! Plain, plain wrong! He knew how much Abby meant to him..but then again, it wasn't like Cutter liked him. But..he didn't hate him. He didn't want to destroy him - which was what he was doing now.

"Conner?!" Abby whispered back, startled. "Conner, what's wrong?!"

"What's wrong?!" Conner replied incredulously, the phone shaking in his hand. "You know perfectly well what's wrong, Abby."

"Conner, what the hell are you on about?"

"You're wrong, Abby. You're WRONG."

Ooh, I bet you hate me for that :D The good news is, Its Not What You Think! :D

It started off as Conner/Abby, but I wanted to put some angst in, and it kinda evolved into this :D The next chapter will be up soon :D


	2. Argument

Conner couldn't believe it. Cutter and Abby!! C-cutter and...Abby!

How long had this been going on? How long had they been together, laughing, probably making jokes behind his back? How LONG?!

How long had Cutter been..violating employee conduct? How long ago had he stolen Conner's dream for himself and lived it, laughing behind his back at the things he saw. Conner had been quite open about his feelings to Abby, he realized. He'd started - dear god, he'd stared too much. He'd fantasized, dreamed, imagined. The only thing in his dreams that drove away the monsters was HER. Cutter had stolen her! Stolen her for himself!

"Cutter killed me." Conner spoke to no-one. Rex's was there, though, sitting anxiously infront of Conner's face, where he was curled up in a protective little ball, weeping pathetically on the floor of the flat, the phone still hanging off hook by his ear. There was a banging sound on the door - the dialtone sounded in his ear. Cutter had hung up.

"Conner, let me in! Conner!"

Abby's voice tormented him from the floor, tempted him towards the door, terrified his theories."Conner, what's wrong?! Let me in!"

"Go away, Abby." Conner managed to croak, but unheard. He didn't want her to go anyway - if she left, he would too. He'd go anywhere, do anything for her. Oh god, he was a dog. He was a spaniel. Conner was a spaniel.

"Conner, what's wrong with you?!"

Abby had evidently remembered she had a key, and was running up the stairs, skidding to the floor beside him.

"Abby..shut up." Conner moaned, closing his eyes, shutting her out. As long as he didn't see her, or feel her, or hear her, he'd be able to salvage some sort of sanity out of his mind. It felt like a leoplaurodon had ran through it with an axe. A magical bull in a broken china shop.

"Conner, what's wrong?" Abby asked again, defying his plea for silence. He flinched as she put a hand on his arm.

"Don't touch me."

"Conner, tell me what's wrong!"

"Don't touch me like you touch Cutter." Conner murmured icily.

"What? Cutter? Conner, what-"

"Don't pretend nothing happened Abby. Ugh," Conner shied away from her. "I can't believe you..it just..why?"

"What? What did I do? Nick and me were-"

"Abby!!" Conner yelled, covering his ears. 'Nick and me'. Conner didn't know he could get this jealous.

"We were at the PUB, Conner!"

Oh.

Frick.

"You what?"

"You actually thought I was..EW!!" Abby sprang to her feet and began to grimace in horror. "God, Conner, how the hell could you think that?!"

"But you were laughing, and its eleven o'clock, and there wasn't a note-"

"Cutter had just knocked over his pint, we aren't children that stay in and play Lego Star Wars - and Rex probably ate it. Anyway, Conner, what do you care?" Abby explained, hands on her hips as she watched Conner scramble up, blushing.

"What do I care if what?"

"What do you care if I'm sleeping with Nick?" Abby tried to joke, but she couldn't carry it off - her voice twisted halfway through and she started laughing again.

Conner stood against the railings, feeling made fun of, again. He walked off.

"Hey, Conner! Wait a second! You never said why you were crying-"

"I was NOT crying!" Conner stopped dead in the kitchen.

"You were, look-" she diverted his attention to the mirror above the sink - Abby found it useful for checking her makeup while doing the dishes. Connor, indeed, had been crying. His eyes were red already. "Why were you so upset? I can understand the disgust, but-" Abby fell silent. Connor tensed. Oh fuck, he'd done it again. He might as well just move out at this rate - He was sure Abby couldn't stand to have a spaniel like him around much longer - maybe he should just pack and go. But who would get custody of Rex? He'd probably end up giving him to Abby anyway, if she was devious enough to twist his feelings in her favor.

"Conner, say something." Abby said suddenly from behind him, stirring his thoughts. Well, Conner reasoned, he'd already messed it up. Why not mess it up further?

"Okay, I'll say it." Conner turned to Abby, who was standing, looking lost in the doorway, and slightly..angry? "I love you. Sorry. And I'm moving out." he looked at her as her face fell. "You get Rex, then." he muttered, then went to find a suitcase.

"Conner, why are you moving out?"

"I doubt you'd want me around now, it'd just be uncomfortable - and you always said you hated spaniels."

"Spaniels?" Abby asked, and Conner flinched at her face - she was always adorable when she was confused. Then the confusion was gone as he went back to packing. "Conner, stop it-" she flung the suitcase onto the floor. "Stop packing, you're not going anywhere."

Conner dared to hope - he knew it was wrong, but he dared to hope anyway.

"But-"

"Conner, why did you never comprehend that I might love you too?"

The words - even though they were hesitant - made him hope even more. Conner had reached the end of his tether.

"Stop playing games with me! You KNOW I love you, so why do you keep getting my hopes up just so I can-"

"I'm not playing games, I just didn't realize that you wanted me so badly-"

"Oh sure! It was OBVIOUS, Abby, even bloody Cutter could see it-"

"Don't insult Nick! And I didn't, I really didn't - I was so caught up in Stephan-"

"Oh, thank GOD for that one. You couldn't get enough of Stephan, you just wanted him, tunnel vision-"

"I didn't really consider you, and I'm sorry, its just you're not the type I-"

"Well I'm sorry I'm not an egotistical jerk that thinks we should bloody kill everything and has affairs with married women!!" Conner yelled, stunning Abby into silence.

"You're jealous of Stephan?"

"Of course I'm jealous of Stephan! He had you entranced from hello, and I didn't even exist to you!"

"I never, ever, ever expected to get anywhere near Stephan! And of course I noticed you, how I could I not!"

"Just leave me alone, Abby. I'm moving out. I don't care who you like or not. I can't stand being the pathetic best friend anymore." Conner said quietly, and, while Abby stood in the kitchen, dripping wet from the rain outside, left the apartment, with the intention to leave her life all together.

AW! Don't worry, it'll get better! Promise :D


	3. Attack

"Nick, do you know where Conner is?"

Nick Cutter leaned against the doorframe in the half-light, glaring sleepily at Abby's frame that was trespassing on his porch. Her pale blonde-white hair was side swept from the wind. Her mascara had ran down her cheeks.

"Honestly, what is it with you two? First its Conner asking where you are, now its you.."

"He's gone! He took all his stuff and left!"

"Did he take Rex?" Cutter asked immediately. Abby threw her hands up in frustration, glaring at him.

"Conner's ran off and all you can care about is Rex!"

"He's more important." Cutter said snidely. Abby's fists curled up in anger and she glared harder.

"STOP SAYING THAT! Conner's more important than anyone on this team!"

"Even you?"

"Even me." Abby whispered angrily. Cutter flinched at the intensity of the anger in her blue eyes.

"Well since you're so important, you get him." NIck replied bluntly, and shut the door in her face.

"UGH, I HATE YOU!"

Abby began running in a unfamiliar direction. She didn't know where she was going, but she was GOING to find Conner. She jogged along the street, not knowing where to go. If she were Conner, and she was angry, where would she go? Abby honestly had no idea, and immediately regretted not knowing. He was her best friend, for gods sakes.

"Conner!" Not knowing what to do, she began to shout. "Conner!" he could be anywhere by now. She turned into an alleyway without thinking and was lost in the darkness. "Conner?" she heard footsteps shuffle towards her - it wasn't Conner, she knew that much. "Who are you?" she asked edgily into the darkness, fists curling into balls, ready for a fight.

"Eh'," the figure hiccuped. "What are ya' yellin' for? Some of us are tryin' to sleep, ya' know." Whoever they were, they were obviously drunk. Abby backed away.

Dinosaurs, worms, giant insects, man-eating crocodiles, and things from the future she could understand. But if it was one thing she hated, besides Nick at the moment, its was drunken perverts.

"Get away from me!" she warned as the figure, a unshaven, smelly vagrant lunged towards her, tripping slightly. Abby crouched down a little lower, and kicked him hard in the gut, and tried to run. But the vagrant grabbed the leg of her jeans and she stopped dead.

"Eh, I wasn't gonna hurt ya' or nothing,'" The he leered, lying. "but that bloody hurt." the vagrant slammed her, with surprising force for someone that smelt heavily of vodka, into the grimy alley wall. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't ya'?" he moved closer and Abby flinched, striking out with her free hand, but he caught it. Abby struggled as she realized he was pinning her to the wall. His grip tightened on her wrists, his grimy nails digging into her skin - then he wrenched her right arm back, and she screamed - he'd broken her arm. The pain was unbearable as she half sank to the floor, free from his grip. "Mm, I'd be such a shame if your pretty little face-" he hiccuped again. "got the crap cut into it." Abby looked up unwillingly and she panicked - he was drawing a knife from his coat, getting closer to her face every second, the dirty blade glinting in the half light. Abby couldn't move - he had one foot on her knee, the wall was pressing into her head, her arm was unbearable-

"ABBY!"

OoOoOooh!

To all the people that have been reading my Shade's Children Fic, I SWEAR, the vagrant was NOT Kenny!! I just borrowed his accent, and affinity for vodka, is all. :D And I PROMISE YOU, I will update soon! Come BACK, reviewers :(


	4. An Arkward Reunion

Okay, I can guarantee you in this chapter at least Abby is going to be a little OC

Okay, I can guarantee you in this chapter at least Abby is going to be a little OC. I'm sorry, but I've just been reading RikuSora fanfiction on deviant art (I know its yaoi! Get over it, I'm a fangirl.) and some of it was really depressing which gave me an idea for another story (not in this category though – Alchino, anyone?) and some of it was really sweet. So, you've been warned. Also, I won't be up dating in the next three days, I think, because I really need to finish my art design before Monday, and I need to practise singing, and I need to theorize on why my ex is suddenly being so damn nice to me. It sucks, really.

-

Pain.

"Abby!?"  
Ah! Why were the voices in her head so damn loud today?

"Can you tone it down a little, please?"

"Sorry."  
Abby tried to open her eyes as her senses came to, and suddenly she could hear a loud beeping noise, somebody breathing nearby, she could feel the stiff hospital blankets covering her, and smell..disinfectant. And Connor. Abby could smell Connor.

"Connor?" God, her voice was so weak! How long had she been out?  
"Yeah?" He was nearby, to her left maybe, and he sounded.. completely hungover. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"You smell terrible."  
"Thanks, so do you."  
What? No she didn't. Did she?  
"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked, still struggling to open her eyes.

"About two days."  
What?  
"Where's Rex?"  
"The first thing you ask about when you wake up is Rex?"  
"Nevermind." Abby had finally opened her eyes to the hospital ceiling. She blinked several times, bleary eyed from the brightness of the room. She turned her head with her eyes shut from the glare of the bright white paint. She opened them and blinked again, wanting to rub her eyes, but not being able to move her arms without spasms of pain. Connor swam into view. "Con.." her eyes flickered up and down his frame, leaning towards her in his chair, hair hanging over his face, dark eyes watching her with concern, hands clinging onto each other as if he was nervous..oh, shit.

"You look terrible." She said finally, smiling a little. Connor grinned at her happily.

"So do you." He replied, and Abby did a double take at his frame. He looked like he'd been dragged through several large rose bushes, backwards.

"What happened..to you?"

"Well first I got into a fight with Caroline.." he winced.

"Caroline?!" Abby asked loudly. Connor grinned.

"Yeah, I ran into her on my way..out..and she told me I looked like I'd just been beaten up, and asked if you'd done something, and well, we ended up screaming at each other. Then I walked a couple of blocks and ended up in the same alleyway you were getting the crap kicked out of you in. Can't say it was the best night of my life, especially the last part." Connor smiled, and Abby smiled too.

"Sorry." Abby apologised, feeling guilty.

"For what?"  
"Yelling at you and stuff."  
"Abs, you were trying to calm me down. Its not your fault it didn't work. Sorry I accused you of..you know. And I didn't mean..most of it."  
"Most of it?"  
Connor looked uncomfortable. Abby flinched. What was he saying? How much did he actually mean?

"I don't want to have this conversation with a hospitalised woman." Connor said quietly. Abby frowned.

"Tell me."  
"I meant it..when I said..I love you. And I meant it when I said I was tired of being the pathetic best friend.."  
"Connor, I-"  
"Oh good, you're awake. You'll probably want some morphine for the pain, no?" A nurse bustled in, pushing past Connor to reach Abby. She looked over the nurses's shoulder to try and read his expression, but he wasn't looking at her.

So much for a happy reunion.


	5. Insecure

Connor had left after the nurse, not bearing to see Abby's confused face behind him as he left. He was standing outside now, kicking the chair leg absent-mindedly. He grimaced, leant back into the chair, and pulled his head into his hands.

How had it ended up like this?! Her in pain, him in pain, arguing, lies, moving out, hospital..

Why did nothing ever go right for them?!

"Ugh!" Connor yelled in frustration, wanting to hit something. He went to punch the wall, but his palm landed flat against the wall and slid downwards. Connor descended into his chair again, cursing the world for its insecurities.

-

"Nick?"

"Finally, Abby. Had us a little worried there." Nick swam into view. Abby had gone under after the syringe that disappeared inside her skin. When she closed her eyes, the image of the Future Creature about to kill her was engraved on her eyelids. Every time Abby blinked, she shivered. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Anything happened?"

"Um.." Nick looked away, biting his lip. "Connor's gone a bit..mad."

"Mad?" Abby asked, a slight note of panic in her voice.

"He tried to quit. I wouldn't let him, of course. But then he tried to leave..and now we've got him captive in the ARC."

"What?!"

-

Sorry its so short. I'm tired, its been and extremely long two weeks..I've updated god-knows-how much tonight. So :D Hope you liked it.


	6. Symbolism

_"Right, erm, If I don't come back, you can have my Star Trek:Next Generation Top Trumps."_

_"I'll treasure them."_

_"On second thoughts, maybe you should bury them with me."_

Abby lay by the windows of the hospital, staring out into the blue-grey morning sky, remembering Connor, before everything was..awkward.

The nights had passed slowly without being able to hear him snoring in the next room. She remembered the time when he'd woken up screaming her name, because he'd dreamt she'd fell from the cliff the day..everything changed. She'd ran in, armed with the butcher knife from the kitchen, ready for raptors, whatever came her way. But he'd looked up, blushing insanely, from the covers, and very quietly explained it all. She sighed, put the butcher's knife back, and gave him a hug. After she was sure he was going to be okay, she'd left and gone back to bed. He hadn't had a nightmare since.

Abby remembered what Steven had said that day too. Her being beautiful. And then he couldn't remember. And she was left wondering whether it was the delirium or the truth. Left, sitting uncomfortably by his side, wondering whether she should just leave.

She was scared. Scared of what Steven..of what Connor..of what any man she had the foolishness to fall for, could do to her. She'd seen it happen. She'd seen girls with lost expressions in the street, eyes dead, not really feeling or seeing..she didn't want to end up like that.

Raptors, giant millipedes, Future Creatures, man-eating reptiles..all of that, she could take. It was emotions that scared her to death.

Abby sighed, her breath making a mark on the window. She lifted a finger gently against the glass and curved her finger round, drawing a heart. Then she spread her palm out flat against the cool glass, smudging it.

There were scarier things than monsters.

-

Woo! Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter! Honest! One left :D And maybe more..depends how long you want me to drag it out. Review!! (Oh, and the quote is from the one with the giant millipede that bites Steven, where Connor comes back and Steven almost dies. :( It was on today, the only one from Series One that I haven't seen before. Had no idea why :D Abby made me laugh with the 'I'll treasure them' bit :D Oh, and get this - the woman that plays Claudia Brown is called Laura Brown! That's so weird :D well, I guess its Jenny now, but still :D

REVIEW :D You KNOW You WANT To! :D The button is your friend! It will bring you happiness and joy and muffins! And you can't sue me if it doesn't! I didn't promise it, so its not a money/muffins back guarantee!

XD


	7. Everything Is Going Backwards

Abby Maitland - Three weeks ago - Cool, confident, happy, with working use of her right arm.

Abby Maitland - Now - A nervous wreck wrapped in skin, blushing like an idiot, arm in a poka-dot pink cast.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

"Anomaly Alert! Anomaly Alert!" screamed through the airwaves of the ARC, using Jenny's voice. "Anomaly Alert! All important personnel to the Boardroom!" Three weeks ago, she'd been important personnel. Now, she was sat on her arse in the middle of the ARC, playing Solitaire on Conner's MacBook, drinking milk and eating cookies, feeling like she was fifteen and staying home from school.

"Abby, could you-" Nick asked automatically on the way out, dragging with him Abby's gun.

"Sure, track you with the SatNav on your phone, I know, I've had three weeks of practice."

Conner didn't meet her interested eyes as he left. Since the hospital, they hadn't really been on speaking terms. It had been hard for them to be near each other, let alone talk. Abby sighed, catching Jenny's eye from the Boardroom above. Jenny smiled and shrugged, gesturing towards the MacBook in her lap.

Right. She'd lost Solitaire anyway, so what else was there to do?

Abby never thought she'd miss monsters so much.


	8. Primary Nightmare Pt1 Aka: Retrieval

**Chapter 8: Primary Nightmare**

**!!(I just have to warn you this chapter contains GORE, AND DEATH (Not character death, just random OC death, but all the same) and a dinosaur called Steve! (I dedicate this chapter to Primeval Addict, who prompted me to update. Should really be doing my coursework now, ha ha (is it ch.8 already?))!!**

Watching Cutter, Stephen and Connor run around after a rampant velociraptor in a rapidly becoming unoccupied primary school had been a surprisingly boring experience. Abby missed the thrill of the chase, the tension, the urgency..she almost missed the stress. The last few weeks had made her brain gone to mush, almost. So when Jenny came running down the stairs of the ARC to where Abby was watching her teamates one by one getting cornered into the same room, feeling hopeless, with Jenny's hair flying out behind her, her hands shaking, Abby almost felt glad they were in possible fatal danger. Almost.

"Abby, Lester's taken the backup to some other anomaly on the other side of London, and they can't get there quick enough, so we'll have to go, but I want you to be careful-" Jenny babbled while they ran out to the car.

"Excellent." Abby replied wholeheartedly as she clambered into the passenger side of the car. Jenny frowned before starting up the engine.

"I want you to be careful. Are the guns in the back?"  
Abby smiled at the irony of those two sentences being together. She nodded and urged the older woman to put her foot down, and smiled when the tires squealed against the tarmac.

The thrill of the chase.

*

When they arrived the occupants of the primary school were huddled outside, some of the smaller faces looking confused, others terrified, others downright awe-struck. An official looking woman wrapped in a blanket approached them on arrival, her hands shaking so much she seemed to have spilt coffee on her shoes. The coffee mug in question was now somewhere in the velociraptors digestive system, along with the remains of a poor, unfortunate, dear man named Frank who used to be the schools janitor.

"It was in the cleaning supplies cupboard," she explained, as if this was of vital importance, "and it ate my coffee mug!" she exclaimed, practically trembling with rage and fear.

Jenny politely guided the traumatised woman back to her seat with the children, and Abby wondered how on earth they were going to cover this one up as she unloaded the car. Unfortunately what Jenny classed as a 'gun' Abby classed as 'dinosaur fodder'. All they had was three handguns, not effective in the least to a full size, caffeine-exposed, carnivorous velociraptor. But it would have to do – thank god, though, for tranquilliser darts.

"Abby? Wait! Where are you going?? Don't go without me!" Jenny called from behind Abby's determined frame. Jenny sighed when she realised she was unarmed, uneducated in the acts of killing dinosaurs, and utterly petrified of small children. But a job was a job, and Jenny set about doing hers.

*

The first classroom Abby entered was a mess. Desks had been flung across the room to smash into walls, small paintings and assorted artwork ripped to shreds, several pots of paint oozing all over the heavily scratched floor. Obviously they'd managed to contain the velociraptor inside the school, which was good. A shiver ran up Abby's spine when she saw, in the corridor, in a bright blue velociraptor shaped footprint, a disembodied finger, still straight as if pointing in horror at the creature that had devoured its owner. Abby sighed in sympathy for a moment, then trudged along the corridor, following the painted footprints of the velociraptor. Evidently it had stepped in not only bright blue with one foot, but a mixture of marigold yellow and a dark red with the other.. or was that blood?  
Abby froze in the doorway of the staffroom, where, through the small, smashed glass window, smeared in purple paint – it had obviously tried to headbutt its way through - she saw the target.

It was tall, taller than Abby, standing on two paint smeared legs, decked in a clash of yellow, blue and red – it had obviously been very enthusiastic about primary colours – supporting a largely dark green, yellow speckled body and a long but thick neck and thrashing tail. Abby squeaked and disappeared from the window as the velociraptors head whipped round and saw her, its eyes piercing, intelligent, and, she could have sworn – evil.

Abby took in a deep breath as she heard its footsteps towards the staffroom door. Where was Cutter, Conner, and Stephen?

--------

**I apologise to anyone called Frank, the entire janitorial community, veggie velociraptors (ha ha) and any teachers that read this. My mother is a primary school teacher, and yes, I do love her to bits, but not in the same way the velociraptor would. She is an angel. ^^ (I walked in the kitchen and said "I just wrote your worst nightmare." "Oh really?" "A velociraptor in a primary school." "Oh no!" Bless.)**

**I totally made up the description, because, well, nobody has actually SEEN a velociraptor since they went extinct, and, well, that was about.. six billion years ago, or something like that? I'm not dinosaur mad, so don't expect me to know single handedly its name in Latin or how far it can burp or its exact measurements or how it looks. I apologise to the dinosaur enthusiastic community that are now yelling "You Jurassic Park Wannabe!"**


	9. Primary Nightmare Pt2 Aka: Repeat

**Hi guys!! I'm sorry that its been a while but I've been as sick with a throat infection thingumy hoo-hah and off school for aaageesss so I had to catch up with my coursework and christmas shopping (tomorrow! Yay) so I haven't had chance. I dedicate this to MontyPythonFan and Primeval Addict, one because she wanted me to and two because she's just damn cheeky and makes me laugh ^^ Also, my usual spellchecker is holidaying in York with my plot bunnies, so I apologize for the spelling mistakes/lack of plot in this chapter.**

*

"Cutter!! Stephen!! Hello? Anyone..?"

Holed up in the corner of a janitors closet was NOT the best place to be while dinosaur hunting, Connor concluded as he huddled closer to the mop and bucket that was keeping him company. It had been three whole hours since they'd entered the primary school (Who knew a school with only a few students could be so large? It just wasn't right.) and they'd split up about an hour ago to search 'every nook cranny and corner of this blasted primary school, because, one ravenous velociraptor can't be hard to find.'

Now Connor was back in the same place he'd spent half his life - cold, alone, admiring someone from afar. He wished the world wouldn't repeat itself.

Connor squeaked as he heard large, booming footsteps and a feral snarl echo down the corridor. He'd lost his gun to the infernal workings of the playground jungle gym while stalking down the velociraptor.

"CONNOR!"

The feral snarling stopped abruptly and footsteps echoed away from Connor towards the other end of the corridor. He sprang up instantly and peered through the small and cramped window. The sight froze his blood in place.

The velociraptor was swinging its tail as it advanced down the corridor towards, admittedly, what was the love of his life, who abruptly socked the the velociraptor in the stomach with a roundhouse kick that could severely cripple a smaller reptile. (Or man, as Connor knew all too well)

"ABBY!"

The janitorial closet at the end of the hall burst open with such force that it send tremors through the floor and straight to her feet. Connor slammed into the opposite wall, taking a hard blow to his right shoulder, and Abby cringed inwardly. Then she grinned, glancing at the velociraptor (out cold, she'd borrowed some of the teacher's football cleats after a brainwave in the locker room) and leaping over its disgruntled head, tearing into the floor so fast she almost slipped.

"Connor-" she began, skidding to a halt at the end of the hallway and just two inches away from him, a fact that she found hard to forget, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, are you okay? More importantly, do you have a gun, cos I lost mine in the-"

"Yeah I've got one, but we need to find Cutter and Stephen.." she gestured towards the door at the end of the hallway, which, it became evident, had several bullet holes. Cheap wood. "I've got a crappy aim since my arms still-"

"Abby??"

"Nick, Step- What the hell happened to YOU?!"

*

**This chapter is also called Repeat because I'm watching old repeats of Scrubs on TV. I've got the house to myself *yay* cos my parents are gonna be out all day/weekend :D This chapter is also dedicated to Harleyzgirl (does your username refer to Harley from Pokemon? Sorry, just occurred to me) and BethS, because thier dedication is long overdue and I'm sorry I forgot. You'll have to share. Play nice! **


	10. Primary Nightmare Pt3 Aka: Relief

Abby stares unashamedly at Nick and Stephen, a blush heating her cheeks when Connors influence rears its ugly head with a vengeance, and she resists the temptation to laugh.

Stephen and Nick a smeared from head to foot in every shade of purple imaginable. A deep, bluely-purple stains Stephen's forehead and, Abby realized with a grin, his sacred, un-ruffulable (by Abby's experience), hair. Nick has the same shade of purple, embarrassingly, all over his shirt and, even worse, one area of his jeans that no-body wants to go near. Nick is frowning at the unconscious velociraptor behind Abby's feet, and Stephen, behind the purple paint, is blushing a little.

"Well well well, what _have_ you two been doing?"

"Um, we managed to corner the raptor in one of the paint stores, and it sorta managed to knock over an entire shelf of purple paint.."

Abby could imagine it, a glorious wave of purple cascading from the door as Nick and Cutter were engulfed..then she noticed that Stephens shirt was ripped and bleeding, red mixing with purple to create a shade that stung her eyes.

"Stephen, are you okay?"

"F-fine. Um, actually, I think I need to go to hospital.." Stephen choked, and Nick's eyes swiveled to his face.

"You got everything under control here?" Nick asked, looking from Connor to Abby to Stephen, then from Stephen to Connor to Abby. Abby nodded, looking down at the velociraptor at her feet and motioning to Nick to give her a tranquilizer dart, which she loaded promptly into the gun, and shot the velociraptor in the head with no hesitation. Nick put an supporting arm around Stephen, who was beginning to look flushed, and disappeared slowly round the corridor.

"Abby? Abby, are you ok?" Connor was shaking her arm, but it felt like her arm was shaking anyway, and she realized she was going into shock from the trials of trying to fight a prehistoric monster that wanted to eat her with only one hand.

"Con.." she trailed off, staring at him with grateful eyes, and then suddenly she was hugging him and laughing, and Connor forgot the now throughly unconscious velociraptor at their feet and hugged her back, because she was there, and her hair smelt of coconut, and it was Abby. "C'mon, Con, we better get back to the car before Jenny has me skinned."

It was like nothing had ever happened before, like they had never argued, except for the fact she winced when he squeezed her arm.

*

THIS ISN'T OVER. YET.


	11. Prank Pt1

The week had been long for Stephen. The last few seconds of Friday increasedly going downhill as they merged into the first few seconds of Saturday, and, with a heavy heart, a straining liver, and a more-than full appetite for alcohol, he put down the vodka bottle. It clinked as it hit the stony counter.

He was at home, drinking the contents of his fridge and trying to stop seeing purple spots infront of his eyes. The room swam, and he leaned into the relative comfort of the sofa.

Unfortunately the sofa was taken.

Helens legs appeared through his stupor, either side of his head. Her laughter sounded strange – like it was far away but loud at the same time. He shook his head as she shook him, and he tried to protest as she dragged him off somewhere he really did not want to go, but the words came out all jumbled and mumbled and he couldn't find the strength nor enough desire to escape as her fingers traced his chest.

*

Tormented by the prospect that he had once again, slept with his bosses thoroughly evil almost ex-wife, Stephen refused to open his eyes. Unfortunately, he was startled into it by the sound of a familiar voice, but not the one he was expecting.

"Hey, Stephen. Wakey wakey, rise and shine, its dinosaur hunting time." The rhyming words merged together in his head, and he groaned. Wait..why was Abby swimming into view instead of Helen?! It had been Helen, hadn't it?? Oh. Abby was fully dressed. He doubted that she'd brought clothes with her..it must have been Helen. "Steph? You awake? C'mon, Cutter'll murder us if we're late."

"Mhhpff?" Yes, smooth Stephen. Very smooth. Abby laughed, and it hurt his ears. She was stood a little way away, in the kitchen, pouring something into a bowl, but then she stopped.

"I guess you're a little hungover, right?"

"Muh-huh." You're just so suave, you idiot.  
"I guess I could call Cutter and tell him you're sick?"  
"Muh-huh."  
"Ok. Er, I'll leave you to..get cleaned up. I managed to get whatever you were drinking outta the sofa, though." She informed him brightly as she fished her car keys from her pocket and headed for the door. "Have a good day." She called through the door. He sat up and listened to her footsteps descend downstairs..wait, how had she got in? He always kept the spare key above the door..great. Now he'd have to move it.

*

"Remind me why we're here, when I could be playing Lego Star Wars.." Connor groaned as they pulled into the parking space outside the ARC.

"Because Connor," Abby reminded him for the third time, "Nick and Jenny and Lester have a hunch about the anomalies, and they wanted to tell us. Besides, I'd be totally kicking your ass on Lego Star Wars." It was true, unfortunately. Abby with her Jedi skills on the Playstation.

"Can't they tell us on Monday?!" Connor moaned, still half asleep.

"The anomalies don't wait for business hours, Con." Abby sighed, dragging him out of the car.

"You were ages in Stephens apartment. What were you doing?" Connor asked bluntly, staggering onto the sidewalk.

"He was asleep. I took the opportunity to get my revenge for all the times he's taunted me."  
Connor looked at Abby in disbelief. Abby smirked. "He's going to get a shock when he looks in the mirror."

Buzz-cuts had never been his thing. Heck, short hair wasn't his thing..but this wasn't anybody's thing.

His hair had been sabotaged. Quite drastically, actually..there was probably something shaved in the back of his head too, not that he'd be able to see it. The magic marker moustache had been funny, but..this was just mean.

About an inch short on every side, Stephen now resembled a pit bull. He ran his hands through what was left of his hair and vowed he'd get Abby back for this. Big time. Something really, really embarrasing.  
Really.

Really.

Embarrasing.


	12. Prank Pt2

Okay, get out the balloons everybody: I have GOOD NEWS. I'm leaving you space so you can guess what it is.

I just got published.

I know.

Isn't it cool?

Okay, its not that big of a deal really. You can put the balloons away now. AGES ago we did a competition in my English class where we had to write a mini saga with 50 words. Not much, I know. I kept getting stuck and I wrote it in the last 5 minutes – but they decided it was cool and want to put it in the book. Its called 'The Adventure Starts Here..' Cheesy I know. I'm just filling in the copyright forms now. So what did this equal? Celebratory update. :) Also, I don't own Primeval, any of the characters, or Starbucks.

*

Cutters team were halfway through the anomaly meeting when Stephen burst in, carrying a six-pack of Starbucks coffee in one hand, and a fist in the other. He slammed the coffee down on the conference table, and glared at anybody that dared to be suppressing laughter, then sat back down in his seat.

Unfortunately Jenny didn't get the bribe as she reached for her latte, smiling pleasantly.

"Have an encounter with a rouge razor, Stephen?"

"Shut it, Jenny." he snarled, glaring at Abby. She was grinning brightly at him, holding back laughter. Her smile faded quickly when he uncurled his other fist, revealing a battery powered razor.

Her chair was spinning before the door even closed.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, STEPHEN!"

Nick and the others watched in amusement as they raced around the lab outside, eventually darting back in, and Abby grabbed a coffee cup from the carton, and tipped it over his head.  
Stephen glared as a moment passed – and then the whole room erupted into laughter. The razor shorted out, and Abby relaxed, laughing along with the rest as he went to find a towel and possibly a new shirt. He WAS going to get her for this.  
One day.

**

Abby and Connor were still re-living the moment when they got back to the flat, jumping when Rex landed on Abby's head, chirping happily.

"Hello, Rex. Had a good day?" Abby asked, still giggling.

"Oh, he sure did." a sarcastic voice came from the kitchen, and Abby and Connor froze in horror.

Caroline..?


	13. A Blessing In Disguise

Going to Cardiff tomorrow - no updates for 2 weeks.

Caroline was leaning casually against the fridge, her eyes observant and deadly, smiling smugly. One hand tapped against the bottom of the fridge, and she pushed off to walk over towards them and drop a key on the counter.

"I forgot to give you my key back," Caroline said slowly, spinning it round on the countertop with interested eyes, examining Abby and Connor. "Hmm..I was thinking of maybe barging in again, but things are different with you now. Have you finally got it together?" she grinned openly at the look on Connors face and the scandal on Abby's.

"Get out of here, you bitch! What have you done to Rex?"

"I didn't do anything," Caroline said honestly. "I just thought I might take a look around..see if I could find any blackmail."

"Blackmail?!"

"Oh you know, something to end this whole stupid charade."

"Charade?!"

"I see you aren't following me. I want to get you," she said slowly, pointing to Abby, "and him," she pointed to Connor. "together."

"HELL WHY?!"

"I'm tired of watching you make all these stupid mistakes and its just going on and on - its really annoying to watch. Now," she held up a pair of Connor's socks and one of Abby's workout gloves. "I couldn't find any blackmail - so I'm going to shred your personal belongings until you confess."

"Confess what?! There's nothing to confess."

Connor's Star-Wars socks got annihilated.

Abby held Rex a little tighter.

"Now, you're going to sit here like good little lovebirds and wait till I'm finished. By the way, I ate your lasagna."

"Bitch." Abby muttered, stroking Rex's head. He was getting twitchy and nervous.

Abby's gloves went through the shredder. "Arrgh."

Caroline reached into a cardboard box on the counter, pulling out a stripy baby blue jumper.

"No!" Connor half-jumped up. "Not that one!"

"Con, that's _my_ jumper."

Caroline and Abby stared questioningly at him until he sat back down, putting his hands up to protect himself from Abby.

"You look softer when you wear it.." Connor explained reluctantly, leaning back and away. "Like a mum or something.." Abby still managed to reach past his hands and hit him. "OW!"

Caroline dropped the jumper next to Connor, who snatched it, still rubbing his cheek.

"Good. We're getting somewhere."

She held up a Torchwood DVD from season 1, spinning it between her fingers.

"NO!" Abby yelled, reaching for it.

"I thought you didn't like Torchwood," Connor said, frowning.

"Its just cos..you get all scared when you watch the cannibal episode, and its adorable." Abby snatched the DVD from Caroline's fingers. Connor blushed.

"You'd be bloody scared too if you watched someone open a fridge full of feet."

"Right.." Caroline pulled another object from the box, Abby's pajama shorts.

"NO!" Connor yelled. "Her ass looks good in those!" he reached up to block another hit from Abby, unsuccessfully. She started laughing.

"You're such a pervert."

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Shut it, kids." Caroline dropped the shorts, and the shredding continued.

*

Stephen and Nick sat around the bar drinking shots, and chatting about 'man' things.

"Jenny's hot," Stephen commented, downing a pint, and staring Nick straight in the eye. "At least you've stopped calling her Claudia now."  
"I think Abby's hot for you."  
"Abby wants Connor."  
"No, Connor wants Abby."  
"Same thing."  
"Different thing."

"How so?"  
"Abby's unsure."  
"Oh really."  
"Well you keep distracting her."  
"Well I don't want her. She's fit, but I don't want her. She's not my type."  
"I know what your type is." Nick's tone turned dangerous as he slammed down the pint glass. "Your type is married."


	14. Twist

Celebratory update: I JUST FOUND SERIES 3 OF PRIMEVAL!! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS PLAYING TODAY!!! EVERYONE HAS NEW HAIR (I love Abby's, its gone PUNK!! AND CUTTERS!! And Connor's just as clumsy and adorable as ever. New characters! makes me laugh. :) The only one who shouldn't have changed his hair is Lester. It just looks wrong. Love Helen's new hair too...she's still a pain the prehistoric butt though.)

Caroline dropped her foot onto the pedal of the bin, smacking the lid into the kitchen wall and leaving a dent. The banana peel she'd been holding dropped to the bottom of the bin liner on top of some of last night's chinese and the remains of the lasagna. Abby and Connor were sitting stock still infront of the shredder, trying to reach for it before she turned around.

"Don't even think about it." she said sharply, grinning as she fixed her amused gaze on them. Rex clambered over the banisters of the stairs and Abby tried to motion him into knocking the shredder over using only her eyes.

He made a few clicking noises and swooped over to sit on the rafters, munching on some skittles.

"Skittles?" Abby hissed to Connor, who shrugged, looking guilty.

"Skittle Basketball," he explained, nodding to the small basketball hoop fixed to the wood of the rafter. "I got bored when you were out." Abby shook her head just as the door slammed below and the sound of rushing feet clattered up the stairs. Caroline froze in the process of dumping Connor's converse into the bin and stared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Maitland, I'm going to get you so bad for shaving my hair off, but Cutters found an anomaly alert and he needs you-Oh. What are you doing here?"

Stephen appeared at the top of the stairs, keeping his eyes firmly on Caroline, who was looking like a rabbit in headlights.

"Came to give Connor my key back," she said smoothly, shooting a glare to the both of them, then slipping past Stephen and down the stairs. "Break a leg chasing dinosaurs." she called from the bottom the stairs as the door slammed.

"SHE SHREDDED MY TORCHWOOD TOP TRUMPS!" Connor wailed. "I'd JUST got JACK, too!"

Stephen's eyebrow went up. He glanced to Abby, who was trying to stop herself laughing.

"You okay? Where's Rex?"

"He's fine." she gestured above Stephens head, where a skittle promptly dropped.

"Ow." he said quietly, brushing the skittle off of the remainder of his hair. Abby stifled a giggle. "Cutter wants us to the ARC - there's something strange about this anomaly."


	15. Abby Surprises

As the remainder of the team joined Nick and Jenny in the boardroom, Abby sensed something was wrong.

"Right. I'll get straight to the point. This new anomaly - its been open..for days."

"Days? The longest anomaly we've ever recorded only lasted three hours!" Connor spluttered, looking incredulously at Nick. Nick shook his head, glancing at the touch screen behind him.

"We've been monitoring it for a week..and nothing's come through - nothing at all." Nick began to scratch his head, looking awkward. "We need to go through - see what's on the other side. After what we've seen - and you've experienced..I don't think we can let you go with us."

"What?!" Abby stood up, her eyes flashing. "You know we're just as tough as the rest of you! How many times have we saved your asses, huh? How many times have I saved YOUR ass, Nick?" she frowned at him, glancing at Connor for support.

"Yeah! We've been out there as many times as you - what makes us so vulnerable?" Nick looked uncomfortable before staring at both of them steadily. "I wasn't saying you were vulnerable..we need people to stay behind - and we haven't exactly got much choice." he gestured around.

"But Cutter-"

"No, Connor. Final decision - I can't change it." Lester strolled in, looking serious. "You're staying outside that anomaly, even if we have to tie you together."

Abby stood up again, banging her fists on the table, glaring at Lester.

"Screw you!" she yelled, grabbing her car keys and running for the door.

"Abby- wait- think about this- where are you going-" Connor ran after her, stumbling on the steps.

"What's wrong with her?" Lester asked Nick calmly, who was standing at the top of the stairs, looking more than a bit stressed.

"Maybe she's feeling left out - I mean, think of all that time she was off because her arm was broken."

"Did we ever find out who that was..?"

"No." Nick shook his head. "But I wish we had."

*

"ABBY! ABBY WAIT! Talk to me!" Connor stumbled on the outside steps as she headed for her car. She glared at him, fumbling with her keys as she tried to open the drivers side door. "What's wrong? I mean, I want to go through the anomaly, but not that much-"

"What if they find some animal, huh? What if it attacks them?! What if they get hurt, and they shoot the animal, even though it was only confused? I'm not just on this team for the ride - I'm here to protect what they're too bigheaded to understand."

"Abby," Connor's tone softened. "They won't shoot anything-"

"-how do you know?!"

"Look..maybe we should just..I dunno, grab that anomaly detector I so conveniently left in your car.." Connor suggested, grinning. Abby stared at him, her eyes widening.

"You didn't."

"I did."

Abby flung herself at Connor and he stared at her, grinning, fighting the blush that was spreading over his cheeks. She let go and clambered into the car, taking the wheel.

"You coming?" she yelled through the open window. He grinned and clambered into the passenger-side seat, but as Abby started the engine he froze. Cutter and Lester came running out the doors of the ARC, his eyes blazing. Connor took one look at Abby's face.

"Step on it."

The pedal hit the floor, and the tires started squealing as the reversed out of the parking lot, and away from the shocked faces of their co-workers.

*  
"Okay, turn left." Connor was holding the anomaly detector into the car light - it had dropped dark in the time they'd been driving. He was squinting into the screen for directions - they'd got lost twice - and they were beginning to wonder if they were ever going to get there.

"Connor, I think we've got company." Abby said, her voice tense. Connor's eyes darted to the rearview mirror, and his stomach flipped sickeningly as the ominous shape of the ARC van trailed behind them like a monster on the horizon. Abby's eyes darted around, searching for the nearest exit road..in 20 miles.

The car was only two cars behind them - and gaining, Connor mentally added as it forcefully overtook a Ford Mondeo. He grimaced as Abby swerved into the other lane, and Connor frowned.

"We've just moved closer to them - what are you-" he then saw the gap in the barrier that kept the traffic lanes apart. "Abby - no - we'll crash - who knows where we'll end up-"  
His protests came to late as she swerved into the opening and ground to a halt. An tense, tight silence came over both of them and seemingly the car as they watched the rearview mirror like hawks. The ARC van cruised past, seemingly not even aware that they'd disappeared from the road.

Needless to say, they both breathed a sigh of relief. "Close call..don't do anything like that to me again, you hear?" Connor joked as they turned back to face the onslaught that would be getting to the next lane. Abby smiled and then slammed her hand down on the horn. Several cars ground to a halt. Abby calmly accelerated into the gap and continued moving like nothing had happened. Connor tried to ignore the two fingered salute he was getting from several passenger side windows. "Abby -"  
"What?" she snapped, trying to concentrate on the road. Connor glanced into the back window, and then they both heard what he was about to point out.

Police sirens.

*  
"Good day, officer." Abby said chirpily, her eyes bright and her smile wide.  
"Good day, ma'am. May I see your license?" the officer replied smoothly, ignoring Abby's chipper act. The officer glanced cooly over to Connor, who grinned awkwardly as Abby rummaged in the glove compartment. "Ah. Thank you."  
The officer looked to Abby, then at the license, and back again.

"Is there a problem?"  
"No, ma'am. Now, can you please explain what you were doing - first turning off into oncoming traffic - and then disrupting traffic in order to merge with said traffic?"  
"Um, well you see we were in a tiny bit of a hurry-" Abby began, looking pleadingly at the stone faced officer.

"-still are, actually-" Connor added, and Abby and the officer glared at him. "Sorry." he mumbled, before turning back to the anomaly detector.

"-and we suddenly realized we'd got very lost and needed to turn around, other wise we'd be stuck going who knows where, and well erm, that was the only way we could see of getting out of the lane."  
The officer stared at Abby. The officer stared at Connor.

"I'm expected to believe that?" he said stonily, but then a beeping noise came from the detector. Abby looked over, her eyes panicked.

"What is it??"

"The anomaly - its... moving!"  
"WHAT?"  
"Excuse me, ma'am, but what is that device you have possession of?"  
"Um.."  
The beeping noise sounded again, louder this time.

"Its about twenty miles.." Connor frowned, then looked up and pointed in a vaugely north-easterly direction. "That-away."  
"Lovely chatting with you officer, but we really have to go." Abby said quickly, and then to the utter astonishment of both the males in her presence, put her foot to the pedal and accelerated into the oncoming traffic. "ABBY!!" Connor yelled.

"What??? We're WASTING valuable TIME!" Abby yelled, and Connor grinned. "What?" she asked again, looking confused.

"I was just going to say its a criminal offense to run over an officers foot."

"Crap."  
**

The windscreen wipers tried unsuccessfully to wipe off the rain from the windscreen. They'd been driving a little over four hours now, and it was getting very dark. The anomaly hadn't moved again, and they'd managed to lose the cop tailing them (not without arousing suspicion from various drivers) about half an hour ago by doubling back in a lay-by and then cutting through some side-streets in a town neither of them could name.

"Everything ok?" Abby asked, sounding tired as they reached the end of the dual carriage way. She kept her hands firmly on the wheel, not even glancing over at him as he tapped the screen, yawning.

"Fine.." he said, flexing his fingers. "...you?"  
"Good." she said, not sounding convincing. Connor frowned but Abby continued to drive until they reached a T-junction and he had to give her directions again.

"Right." he said quietly, thinking of the ARC van that had been tailing them a while ago. Nick was going to wring both of their necks for this - and what of Rex, all alone back at the flat, wondering where they'd got to? Had Caroline gone home, or had she stayed shredding his stuff?

"Um actually, Connor? Can we switch for a while, I'm getting sleepy." Abby asked, yawing slightly as she turned into a lay-by. Connor began to undo his seatbelt and then looked over to Abby..who'd fallen asleep.

"Abby? Abby.."

Connor settled into his seat. Looks like he was spending the night here.

Hey guys, know I haven't been around lately - exam's and all. Promise to update within a month this time :) Wish me luck for my last two exams!!!


	16. Confession

**Alright, this is the second to last chapter everyone! Yes, I know, some of you are sad, but I'm moving on to other projects for other TV shows/Books, so you can visit my profile and check out what I'm doing. Thanks for all the reviews, the PATIENCE (seriously, thanks) and the support. To date (08/07/09 - English date) this story has had 8064 hits. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, DINOSAURS, QUIKCLOT, OR ABBY'S CAR. :) I DON'T OWN PRIMEVAL!!**

*******

Connor woke that morning to the sound of screaming and the uncomfortable feel of something sharp all over his legs. When he opened his eyes, the windscreen was smashed in and his legs were bleeding through his jeans.

There was also a very angry Proceratosaurus standing on the bonnet of Abby's car, covered in glass and snarling in rage as Abby hit it over and over with a mini fire extinguisher. Connor tried to hold back a shriek and clambered out of the car, running round the front to drag her back.

"Abby, you're not going to be able to knock it out."

"I can!" she raised the extinguisher again, hitting it over the head. It snarled and tried to bite her, but she jumped back. Connor grimaced.

"Abby, run."

"_No_, I can-" he dragged her off the car with both hands and pushed her towards the trees.

"You CAN'T! Now RUN!"

The Proceratosaurus was screeching, turning to run for them. Connor squeaked and pulled Abby along, who was stumbling over the undergrowth.

"Connor, what do you know about this one?"

"Er, as in what exactly? I mean there's a lot to know, I could tell you the colour of its skin, it's full length, the time period-"

"CONNOR!" Abby roared, looking exasperated. "Can it climb trees?!"

"Er, I don't know.."

"You're not helping!"

Connor glanced back at the Middle-Jurrasic dinosaur crashing through the trees behind them. If only his mother could see him now.

"Um, it's a theropod, so..I'm guessing no?" Connor hedged, dragging them behind a promising looking oak, pausing before gesturing upwards. "Ladies first."

"This isn't exactly the right time to be polite, but thank you." Abby sighed, jumping up to grab onto the lowest, sturdiest branch, then swinging inside between the V of the trunk and clambering up towards the top. Connor followed, keeping his eyes on the bark and the carnivore below. It was staring up at them, judging whether it could jump that high or climb. "Don't look up, Connor."

"I'm kind of preoccupied with the wild animal trying to kill us right now." he called back up. Abby sat in between the highest branches of the tree, whereas he was still climbing, hands scrabbling at the bark as he saw a flash of decision in the creature's eyes.

It jumped, one three fingered hand reaching out, and scraping along the side of the branch and scratched deep into Connor's arm. He screamed silently, still moving along the branch as the theropod clung to the branch, it's weak grip already slipping, and he crawled infront of Abby as it tried to swing itself onto the branch. It's grip loosened, and it crashed into the leaves, unconscious, Connor assumed.

"Connor, you're bleeding!" Abby cried suddenly, pulling his arm towards her so she could examine the wound. "It's pretty deep, too..I left my med-kit in the car.." she looked up at him and he noticed the scratches on her face and shoulders. He lunged forwards, running his fingers over the scratches. "Connor you're worse off than me - that's serious, you could pass out-"

"It doesn't matter, are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned, and they looked at each other silently. Abby suddenly became aware that technically they were both holding each other, and a blush heated her cheeks. Connor looked away, dropping his hands from her shoulders, and gazed down at the unconscious Proceratosaurus. It started to stir, and he pulled his legs up onto the branch, Abby still holding one hand over the gash on his arm.

It shook its head a couple of times, and pulled itself to its feet, and Connor was tempted to laugh as it shook its tail from side to side like a dog, and tested its feet and hands. Suddenly it's senses seemed to sharpen, and it glared up straight at them. Both of them tried to stay perfectly still, holding each others arms for balance as it examined them.

It's head swung to the side, facing behind them now. Connor listened, and he grimaced as he could hear the motorway just on the other side of the trees. It ran towards the sound, curious.

"_That's_ why I was trying to knock it _unconscious_!" Abby whispered, pushing past him down the branches. "We can't let it out onto the public!"

"Abby - Abby wait -" his head whirled, and he slipped down the branch a little. The blood loss was already beginning to affect him. Maybe his arm was worse than he thought. Abby turned and looked back as he held his head with his other hand at the bottom of the tree. "Ow.."

"Connor-" she pulled him down, trying to ignore the sudden blush that escaped her when his head rested on her shoulder. She pulled him to lean against the base of the tree. His eyes were closing. She slapped him. "Connor, stay with me, come on.."

There was a roar from the edge of the trees that she tried to ignore. "Connor you have to stay awake, please." The roar resounded again. "Connor, stay awake, please. I'll be back for you, okay? I promise." his eyelids drooped and then flickered open again.

"Okay." he slurred, blinking several times. She smiled, and he half-smiled back.

"I'll come back, I promise." she hugged him, then ran off out of his line of sight, which was beginning to blur anyway. He tipped his head to look at his arm, discovering he was covered in blood, soaking through his jeans and draining out onto the leaves. He found himself getting continually more drowsy, more tempted to sleep, but he fought to keep his eyes open and concentrated on being awake. Abby wanted him alive, he had to stay awake. Come on Connor, you've been through worse than this..well you haven't lost this much blood before, but you've still been through worse than this..

His mind drifted back to the day he'd first admitted he loved Abby, and why there'd been so much awkwardness between them ever since. Hearing her beg him to let her go..there was no way he would ever do that. Abby..

He could hear, but it was like hearing through glass or underwater. The roars of the dinosaur were getting louder, and Abby was shouting and yelling, and there was feet crashing through leaves..

There was a scraping sound, and he thought he could hear something colliding with something metal. He struggled to lift his eyelids, and saw that the clearing was empty. Feet crashed through leaves again, and Abby appeared in view, throwing the med-kit from the car to his side, though he could barely lift his eyelids let alone his hands right then. She was brandishing the anomaly tracker in one hand, waving it back and forth. She glanced at it, and then ran off in the opposite direction, heading north. The Proceratosaurus, hypnotized, followed her.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, focusing on the line of trees that Abby had just disappeared through. She'd be back.

She promised.

*

Abby was running through the trees, wishing the dinosaur away and worrying about Connor. She clutched the anomaly tracker tight in her hand, hoping beyond hope that her hunch was right. It began to bleep as she dodged a tree, jumping over a log as she neared the anomaly. It shone about twenty metres away, looking like hope solidified. If she could just get it to go in..

She speeded up, and jumped straight through the anomaly and into the Middle Jurassic.

It was _almost_ exactly the same.

There were many tall and thickly leaved trees and small bushes and ferns, and the ground was thicker and mossier than before. Everywhere was green, and there wasn't a flower in sight.

As Abby scrambled away from the anomaly, she could hear waves crashing nearby.

The Proceratosaurus thudded onto the mossy ground in front of her.

Right.

Now to distract it.

She ran towards the shore, now hoping that her other hunch was right as she stumbled her way over the mossy ground. She scrambled towards the strip of yellow-gold and blue, hearing the Proceratosaurus following noisily, and skidded into the sandy shore, turning to face it. It eyed her hungrily and she realized that rabbits must have been less than sustaining for however long it had been out.

**THUMP.**

Abby was knocked off her feet. She crossed her fingers.

**THUMP.**

Whatever it was, it was large, and getting closer.

**THUMP.**

**THUMP.**

**THUMP.**

Just breaking through the trees, a small head appeared..about 18 meters up. Both Abby and the carnivore froze, as it's elongated neck and body came into view. It swung around to look at her and the Proceratosaurus, seemingly checking her out and then the Proceratosaurus. The carnivore seemed to be sizing the herbivore up - to see if it could take it down or not. The Proceratosaurus decided it had more meat and was slower than Abby, and lunged for the Cetiosaurus. Abby grinned widely, and ran for the anomaly, just as it was beginning to close. She jumped at the last second, and rolled through the other side, lying on the leaves.

When she scrambled to her feet, she certainly didn't expect Nick, Lester, Jenny and Stephen to be standing there, as well as the military team.

Her eyes darted around, still in half crouch, ready to run at the first sign of trouble.

"Abby, where's-"

She stood up straight, eyes widening.

"Connor." she said quietly, turning and running away. "CONNOR!" she was pelting through the trees, not bothering to check if they were following. Oh god, Connor, please be okay. Please. I need you. "**CONNOR**!" she yelled again, slipping down a bank and tumbling over the leaves, her face and hair and hands covered in dirt. She looked up, praying.

"A-abb.." he slurred, and attempted a smile. She shot up.

"Oh thank god, you're okay-" she hugged him, dropping the anomaly detector by her side as she reached for the medical kit, wiping her hands on her jeans and wrapping the bandage around his arm, just below the gash to form a tourniquet, and then reached into the first aid kit for the _QuikClot_* and looked up to Connor. "This is probably going to sting." he blinked at her, which she took to be an ok, and then ripped the packet open and poured it into the wound. Connor writhed against the tree trunk, thrashing against the leaves. She held his hand while the pain died away, and he blinked at her, and rested his head against the trunk, beginning to close his eyes. "Connor," she protested, shaking him. "Connor you need to stay awake still. Connor." he stared at her, trying to blink, but his eyes drooped. "Connor, please," she begged, still holding his hands in her own. "Look at me, okay? I'm here. Look at me."

"Abb..y.." he slurred, pulling weakly at her hands.

"I'm here, just stay awake and look at me, okay?"

"Abby.." he slurred, trying to pull at her hands again.

"I'm here," she reassured, squeezing back, and turning around to look for anyone who could help. There was no-one.

"Abb..I..l..love..you.." he slurred, trying to squeeze her hands. "S-s.."

"It's okay, Connor." she squeezed back. "I believe you. I love you too."

Connor attempted a smile again, and Abby turned back around. "JENNY!" she roared, "JENNY!"

Nick appeared, looking startled as he took in Connor and Abby.

"Call an ambulance!!" he yelled behind him, skidding down the bank to join them. Abby was almost crying.

"Please stay with me Con," she whispered, squeezing his hands. "It'll be okay."

**

*QuikClot is an acutal product contained in first-aid kits to stop blood loss. I have never used it myself, so I hope the description I gave was accurate.

SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER :D


	17. Fearless

**Last disclaimer *sniff*: **I do not own Primeval or any of the characters contained in this fic.

There was that stupid white light again. The one that wasn't a light - what was it? Connor couldn't remember. Everything was a blur. There'd been teeth and screaming in his nightmares, and there'd been the sound of Abby's voice and feet crashing through leaves. Where was that now? Where was he? Why couldn't he remember that damn white light- thing- whatever it was?

He blinked several times. The white remained. There was no sound - and Connor slowly realized he couldn't feel anything.

He sat up.

Well, he tried to. He couldn't move. He was totally and completely immobilized. Oh god, what if there'd been some sort of venom in that bite? What if he was going to spend his entire life completely paralyzed? He'd never be able to chase Rex around the flat again - he'd never be able to chase anything anywhere ever again.

"Oh, god.." he moaned, wishing he could close his eyes. But he felt like if he closed them he wouldn't want to open them again.

Suddenly-

"Connor?!" and THEN there was pain and feeling and he jerked upwards as something fell onto his legs.

He missed the numbness.

"You're awake, thank god," wait, Cutter was here?

He tried to open his mouth but there was something around it. He frowned. "Is he pulling faces at us?"

"No, it's the mask-" then there were fingers in his vision and against his chin, and he gasped in a deep breath, coughing loudly. "-there we go."

"A-Abby!" there was his first word, choking and stumbling out of his mouth.

"Oh, don't say hi to me."

"N-Nick," he wheezed, squinting as his vision flickered, and then they swam into view. Abby was to his left, leaning on the side of the bed to look at him. "Hi," he coughed, and she smiled.

"Save your breath," she told him, signaling to someone outside. There were footsteps, and he blinked as his vision started to expand and the colours began to drain, flipping from black and white to negative and then back again. He concentrated on Abby's face as she glanced worriedly at him. "Connor?" he couldn't catch his breath.

"Put the mask back on," someone, he assumed a nurse, ordered. He flinched as it slipped over his face. "and leave it on this time."

There were footsteps out the room, and Connor could see Abby looking to Nick over the bed, and then there were more footsteps and the door shutting, and then there was just Abby.

He couldn't move his hands or his head and he tried in vain to communicate with his eyes but he wasn't sure she was getting the message. Her hands were clasping his and her face was pale, and she couldn't stop looking at the mask and the tubes coming out of his arms.

He smiled under the mask and then looked back to her, gesturing writing on his hand. She ducked out of his line of sight and he could hear her rummaging around in her bag, and then passed him a biro and a notepad. He struggled to write with it, and there were a lot of parts where the writing was excessively dark and also light where he'd lost his grip on the pen momentarily.

"Does this mean I can move back in to the flat?" she read out loud, smiling, and looked to him. "Of course." Abby's thumb rubbed against the back of his hand. He reached out for the paper again and she handed him the pen, watching him as he struggled to write with it.

"How long have you been out? The doctors had a bad time with you – you went into a coma for a while, and we had to analyse the blood-work. The poison was rare, so it took us a while to make an antidote..Connor, it's September."

"Mffpth?" Connor's eyes widened, and he scrawled on the paper. She laughed loudly.

"I've missed the new series of Torchwood.., Con, I recorded it for you..Stephen tried to tell me not to, but I did." He scrawled on the paper again. "Stephen? Well..when you were um, out, he sort of tried to talk to me..about the whole giant-centipede-venom-induced-hallucinations thing. But I couldn't..I never left your side for the first week, Con, but they made me leave – and then you went into a coma, and I came back, and Stephen dragged me out..he tried telling me that you weren't going to make it, that I should be rational-" there were tears welling up in her eyes. "Stephen wanted me to be with him, because he'd finally made his mind up to get out of the ARC – get a normal job, get settled down – but I didn't believe him, because I know he wants this job more than anything – way more than me – so really he just wanted me to sleep with him." her eyes pooled into disgust, and he squeezed her hand. "So I said no. I told him to leave me alone – to leave you alone – and I ..I told him I loved you, Con." her voice faltered, and she looked away. He squeezed her hand, hard, and she closed her eyes for a long minute and then looked back.

"Connor," she murmured, looking as scared as she did when she kicked that velociraptor in the head. She smiled, looking as amused as when she saw Nick and Stephen covered in paint. Her eyes flickered from his face to her hands. "I need to know. You said you..you said you," she blinked several times. "You said you loved me, back in the forest..I need to know if it was true."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "I want it to be said by someone who doesn't think they're dying at the time!" she said exasperatedly, and he tightened his grip on her hands. "Please, just say it, or don't say it. I'm tired of wondering and waiting and feeling uncomfortable."

"Mffphh!" he meant to say he loved her but the oxygen mask was in the way. "Mpppfh!"

She smiled broadly and looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"Okay," she squeezed his hand. "One squeeze for no, two for yes."

He breathed deeply for a few minutes, not taking his eyes off of her before gently squeezing her hand once, and then as she met his eyes quietly with the same fear in her eyes, twice.

She smiled, and it was slightly wobbly, before leaning over to kiss his forehead.

"We're gonna be fine, Con. We shouldn't be scared of those monsters. They should be scared of us."  
He tried to laugh and ended up wheezing, and scrawled on the paper.

"Does this mean I have to go to the gym with you?"

*sniff* Hey guys, I hope you really enjoyed this fic and I had a blast writing it and getting your reviews. I know most of you will be sad that it's ending but I have other projects to move on to (and eighty chapters to write for BALK..) Also, I'm so sad that ITV 2 has cancelled the series. I really hate them at the moment - they cancelled Primeval AND Demons. Demons I can understand but Primeval had three seasons for gods sake! I'd like to thank xcookiemonster94x for bringing this to my attention, and if you have the time and you LOVE Primeval, there's a petition here: gopetition . com / online / 28605 . html (remove the spaces) and here: gopetiton . com / petitions / get - primeval - back . html so I sign them if you want :) I'll miss you guys - hopefully see you again if I manage to write another fic. :) Check out my profile for other fics!

For the last time,

- Bekkah.


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